It's been quite some time since I posted a painting. I have to admit that I've been in a bit of a lull. But a creative block isn't all there is to blame. I began this painting on Oct. 5. I started with the red grain elevator and then spent a few days looking at it. I didn't like it. I gave a lot of consideration to painting over it. But then I added just a little shadow on the roof of the building. At first, I didn't like that either, but by the end of the day, I was glad I painted that shadow. It saved the building.
I added the horizon with little issue. The painting, as a whole, wasn't exciting me. I felt like it needed something. My plan all along was to paint the entire surrounding white. As I did this, I thought something was missing and planned to add a line of telephone poles that would grow smaller toward the left side of the canvas.
I finished the white portion of the painting -- which is most of it -- and waited for it to dry enough for me to add the telephone poles. Over the span of about a week, I grew to appreciating the starkness of the painting. The white really pushed across the feeling of a cold, wide-open land -- like some place in Montana.
Despite this growing appreciation, I painted telephone poles. I immediately regretted it. "What was I thinking?" I asked myself. I thought of tossing this one away. This is supposed to be relaxing and rewarding. I was feeling neither.
Once I calmed down, I let the ill-fated telephone poles dry and then eliminated them.
And, once again, I am at peace with my painting.
I hope you enjoy it. It's called "The Brisk Morning."